1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to diving belts, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved weight belt for use by divers. A weight belt must be worn by scuba divers to enable them to easily dive beneath the surface of the water. The amount of weight on the belt is selected to offset the natural buoyancy of the diver and the buoyancy of the scuba tanks. In emergency situations, a diver will remove the weight belt in order to easily return to the surface. In this case, the conventional diving belt is difficult to locate. These diving weight belts are relatively expensive and it is desirable to easily locate the diving belt in a low light environment such as that which exists several feet under water and also at night. Also, as most diving is done under the "buddy system", it is desirable to easily locate one's diving partner in low light environments. The present invention provides for a solution of the aforesaid problems through the use of a weight belt treated with a phosphorescent material which will thus glow in the dark.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of diving belts are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a diving belt is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,636, which issued to D. Mason on Mar. 26, 1968. This patent discloses a diving belt having a pair of longitudinally extending tubes adapted to be filled with lead shot. In this manner, the weight of the belt may be adjusted by measuring the amount of lead shot added to the tubes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,685, which issued to B. Rentfrow on Dec. 15, 1981, discloses a quick release diving belt including a pair of flexible weighted arcuate sections interconnected by a releasable section designed to encircle the waist of a diver with the releasable section disposed at the back of the diver and the arcuate sections terminating in spaced free ends at the front of the waist of the diver to facilitate quick removal. The belt can be tightened by merely pushing on the arcuate sections or can be released by pulling one of the sections at the front of the diver away from the diver's body. U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,718, which issued to D. Finnern on June 26, 1984, discloses a weight strap designed to be mounted circumferentially about a scuba tank. The weight strap is designed to utilize conventional lead diving weights and includes a resilient strap portion designed to provide tension within the strap to tightly maintain the weight strap about the scuba tank. Opposite ends of the strap are provided with a pair of mating, quick release connectors which may be manually separated from one another to selectively release the weight strap from the scuba tank.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices provides a diving belt which will glow in the dark. Further, none of the aforesaid diving belts utilize cylindrical slotted weights which frictionally engage a plastic belt impregnated with a phosphorescent material. Additionally, none of the previously mentioned diving belts contemplate the use of diving weights painted with or encapsulated in a phosphorescent material. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of diving belts, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such diving belts, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.